Kate's Story

I had a few disappointments in life, followed by PTSD. I was introduced to SkyCity Casino by my mum. She loved it, but she had limits and enjoyed it for what it offered.

I enjoyed it a little too much. It seemed fun and my worries went away for the time that I was there. This worried me and so I sought help.

I met my Oasis counsellor and under her professional care I came to understand the gambling cycle and my triggers. I think face-to-face counselling is the most effective as it takes a long time to go from fear of what gambling does to you, to the desire to move past that feeling.

In face-to-face counselling with my counsellor, I came to trust her. I appreciated the lack of judgement and the support she showed me to achieve my goals.

It has taken a commitment from both my counsellor and myself. It has paid off, I have not gambled on the pokies for six months and I have no desire to.

I have had spells in the past where I have stopped and relapsed. Like learning to ride a bike, you fall off a few times before you get it right.

I have great respect for The Salvation Army's counselling and I hope the service will continue to help others.

Take the first step with Oasis by calling us on 0800 53 00 00. You can also leave us a message on Facebook

*All names in this story have been changed. Stock photography is used in all Oasis Stories of Change.

Individuals have provided consent for their stories to be shared.

Oasis would like to acknowledge and thank participants for having the courage to share their personal journeys here. We recognise that their recovery journeys are still continuing and we sincerely wish them all the best that life has to offer.